Frankfurter cooker



March 28, 1939. 5 KQHN 2,152,315

FRANKFURTER COOKER Fild Dec. '7, 1936 INVENTOR SAMUEL K1 1v Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANKFURTER COOKER Samuel Kohn, Jackson Heights, N. Y. Application December 7, 1936, Serial No. 114,582 10 Claims. (01. 219-19 fully disclosed in the application previously men- The present invention relates to units for frankfurter grills and. has for its main object the provision of improved means for effectively maintaining electrical contact with a frankfurter dur- 5 ing the cooking operation.

In the above type of apparatus; as exemplified in my Patent No. 1,974,715, and in my application Serial No. 114,581, filed concurrently herewith, the frankfurter isv arranged between two '10 electrodes, and electric current is passed therethrough to effect the cooking of said frankfurter. A troublesome fault of the electrodes, as heretofore provided, was that they caused splitting of the ends of the frankfurterwhich then tended .15 to curlaway out of contact with said electrodes, and hence impaired the efficiency of. the cooker. As can be seen from the above-named patent and application, I have devised 'several ways for obviating this fault, attaining a considerable meas- 20 ure of success.

- The present disclosure, however, contemplates the provision of means for preventing the curling or spreading of the frankfurter ends, and, therefore, effectively overcomes the above-mentioned 22. fault. Since, for good electrical connection between the electrode and the frankfurter, it is necessary to pierce the 'frankfurter with a member which is in firmcontact with the filling of said,

frankfurter, I have devised means for encircling the pierced ends thereof, and thereby surely retaining the franldurter in good electrical contact and preventing the splitting thereof.

The invention also contemplates an improved unit of simple construction and wherein many parts are eliminated.

With the above and other features and advantages in mind, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts as exemplified in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a cooker unit, incorporating electrodes as contemplated in this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of an electrode as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing theelectrode in use.

Fig. 4 is a broken side view of an improved form of unit.

In the drawing, the unit 5 supports a pair of pivoted arms 6-6 and electric current is supplied to these arms through buss bars 1 and 8. The

' manner of supplying current to these arms is tioned and reference is had thereto.

The simplified unit shown in Figure 4 comprises a porcelain or other dielectric member 5 having wings 30 preferably of T-shaped cross sec- 5 tion.

Flanking the central opening 3| there is mounted on the stud or rivet 32, the arms B -6 Also mounted-on the rivet 32 are spring members 33 having aifixed thereto or adapted to engage against respective pins 34 movable in openings 35 in the'unit and adapted to contact the respective rivets or screws l and 8 in the buss bars 1 and 8.

Aswill be noted from the drawing, the arms 6 are preferably of channel cross section and are free to move about the pivot 32 but in electrical contact therewith, as is also the upstanding wing portions of the springs 33 so that the arms 6' are in electrical circuit with the respective buss bars 1 or 8 as follows: bar 8, rivet 8 pin 34, spring 33, pivot stud 32, and arm 6%, and vice versa. The other arm 6 is similarly in circuit with the buss bar 1.

Since both arms 6 are provided with similar electrodes only one will be described, it being understood that these electrodes may be interchangeably used, if desired.

The electrode, generally designated 9, comprises a knife, or prong l supported in pivotal relation with the arm 6 as by means of the M-shaped 1,;

member H, the pivot l2 being such as to permit free movement of the electrode therearound for the accommodation, in the unit, of frankfurters of varying lengths. The knife l0 may besharpened, as shown, for ready piercing of a frankfurter end.

While said pivot is free as above mentioned, it is constructed so that electric current is efficiently passed therethrough from the arm 6 to the electrode 9. This is further facilitated by the contact of the inner legs I3 of the M-shaped member H with the side faces of said arm.

The outer legs l4 and M of the member H, at their free ends, are each respectively arranged as at l and Hi, to secure portions l1 and I8 of the respective arcuate members l9 and 20. It will be noted that the portion I1 is extended transversely .of the electrode so its arcuate member I9 is disposed on one side of the prong I0 and its connection to the leg I4 at l5 on the other side. Similarly, the arcuate member 20 is disposed on the opposite side of the prong ill from its connection at [6 to the leg l4.

s The M-shaped member ll, preferably made of a springy metal, supports the arcuate members l9 and 20 in lateral relation to the prong l0. Normally these assume the position shown in Figure 2, but when it is desired to impale a frankfurter F on the prong ID, the legs I4 and M are squeezed towards each other so a frankfurter may be impaled on the prong l0, and when this pressure is removed the arcuate members will substantially encircle the pierced end of the frankfurter to retain intimate contact of the prong with the frankfurter filling and to prevent splitting of the end thereof. The arcuate members l9 and 20 also serve as additional means for conveying electric current to the frankfurter.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that simple, eflicient and effective means have been provided for enhancing the eificiency of frankfurter cookers or grills. It is also apparent that immaterial changes may be made in the construction thereof by skilled persons. Hence, the scope of the invention should be determined by prior art rather than by the present specific disclosure.

I claim:

1. An electrode for frankfurter cookers, comprising a prong adapted to pierce a frankfurter, and a member mounted on each side of said prong adapted to engage and cooperatively clamp the outer surface of said frankfurter.

2. An electrode for frankfurter cookers, comprising a prong adapted to pierce a frankfurter, and a resiliently mounted member on each side of said prong adapted to press against the outer surface of said frankfurter to clamp it between the members.

3. A device for supporting a frankfurter in cooking position in a grill or the like comprising a swingable arm, and an electrode pivotally mounted on the end of said arm, said electrode comprising a prong adapted to pierce the end of a frankfurter, and a member mounted on each side of said prong adapted to engage and cooperatively clamp thefrankfurter adjacent its pierced end.

4. An electrode for frankfurter cookers or the like comprising a member having resilient arms, an arcuate member adapted for contact with a frankfurter adjacent its end, said arcuate member being carried at the free end of each arm, and a prong carried by the mentioned member and positioned between said arcuate members, said prong being adapted to pierce the end of a frankfurter.

5. An electrode for frankfurter cookers or the like comprising an M-shaped member having a pair of inner legs and a pair of outer resilient legs, a frankfurter end piercing prong carried between the inner legs, and an arcuate member carried at the end of each resilient leg.

6. An electrode for frankfurter cookers or the like, comprising an M-shaped member having a pair of inner legs and a pair of outer resilient legs, a frankfurter end piercing prong carried between the inner legs, and an arcuate member carried at the end of each resilient leg, said prong being disposed between each outer leg and its arcuate member.

7. A device for supporting a frankfurter in cooking position in a grill or the like, comprising a dielectric member having wing portions, a swingable arm mounted on each wing portion, and'an electrode pivotally mounted on the end of each arm.

8. A device for supporting a frankfurter in cooking position in a grill or the like, comprising a dielectric member having wing portions, a

swingable arm mounted on each wing portion,

trically connecting each arm with its respective current conveying means, and an electrode pivotally mounted on the end of each arm.

10. A device for supporting a frankfurter in cooking position in a grill or the like, comprising a dielectric member having wing portions, a swingable arm mounted on each wing portion, a dielectric mounting member for the dielectric member, plural electric current conveying means carried by said mounting member, means for electrically connecting each arm with its respective current conveying means, and an electrode pivotally mounted-on the end of each arm, said electrode comprising a prong adapted to pierce the end of a-frankfurter, and a member on each side of said prong adapted to engage the frankfurter adjacent its pierced end.

' SAMUEL KOHZN. 

